Apparatus for spraying particles of insulating material



Feb. 1952 J. KEMPTHORNE 2,585,133

APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING PARTICLES 0F INSULATING MATERIAL Filed Feb. l, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET l ATTORNEY 1952 J. L. KEMPTHORNE 2,585,133

APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING PARTICLES OF INSULATING MATERIAL.

Filed Feb. 1, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING PARTICLES OF INSULATING MATERIAL This invention relates to the art of spraying insulation material, such as asbestos and other thermal and sound insulation materials, .onto surfaces to be coated therewith. Such materials are applied 'by projecting the same from agun head directed toward the surface to be coated, the gun being moved to project the material to the point of application. The material to be applied .is usually of a light, fibrous nature projected in the form of a stream under pressure. The particles tend to depart from the main path of the stream, creating considerable turbulence and resulting in an untidy .method of application.

The apparatus of the instant invention, as will appear more particularly hereinafter, is designed to avoid the objections above noted and to provide for the boxing-in of the projected stream of insulation material.

These and other advantageous objects, which will appear from the drawings, and from the description hereinafter, are accomplished by the structure of my invention, of which an embodimerit is illustrated in the drawings. It will be apparent, from a consideration of said drawings, and the following description, that the invention may be embodied in other forms suggested thereby, and such other forms as come within the scope of the appended claims are to .be'considered within the scope and purview of the instant invention.

In the .drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a spray gun embodying one form of the invention, also showing, schematically, the method of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the spraygun head, shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view thereof,

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a nozzle base used in carrying out the invention-,;

Fig. 4a is asimilar view of another form of base member, I

Fig. 4b is a similar view of another form -01" base member and associated nozzle parts shown secured to a spray gun head,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the nozzle base of Fig. .4 secured to the spray gun head, the other nozzle parts being shown in exploded position,

Fig. 6 is a similar view, showing said nozzle assembled and applied to the gun head,

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the spray gun embodying the invention,

Fig. 8 is a phantom perspective view of the spray gun head,

3 Claims, (01. 299+ss) Fig, 9 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional, elevational view, taken on line 9-.9 of Fig. .8,

Fig. 10 is a similar view, taken on line ,I 07-10 of Fig. 8,

Fig. 11 is a phantom perspective view of a spray gun head in another form of the invention,

Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view of a spray gun head embodying another 'form of the invention,

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of another form of apparatus embodying the invention, and

Fig. 14 is a phantom perspective view thereof.

The drawings show .an apparatus l 0 embodying the invention, comprising a head ll provided .(see Fig. 8) with .a continuous compressed .air circuit .comprising a pair of air tubes 1'2, 12 disposed in spaced, parallel relation, and .a second pair or" air tubes I3, 13' disposed in the head in connected and criss-cross relation to the-first mentioned pair, air tube clean-out plugs [4 being disposed in and closing the free ends of the tubes, as shown in Fig. 9. By the arrangement described, it will be apparent that the cleaning outof the tubes l2, I2, [3, I3 .requires only the removal of the plugs which makes accessible the entire length of the tubes. This feature is extremely valuable from a practical standpoint. An air line I5 is connected to the circuit, as shown in Fig. 10, and may be provided with a clean out plug I6 and valve l]. The spray gun head is further provided with a continuous adhesive circuit, comprising a pair .of parallel adhesive tubes 22, 22 and a second pair of adhesive tubes 23, 23' disposed in the head in connected and criss-cross relation to the first mentioned pair, clean out plugs .24 being disposed in and closing the free ends of thetubes. An adhesive line 25 is connected to the adhesive circuit, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, and may be provided with a valve 21. Y

The specific relative disposition of air and-adhesive circuits is a matter of choice; their relative disposition may be reversed if found convenient. Pressure in the respective circuits is highest at the point of entry of line [5 or and decreases progressively therefrom. This difference will, in many cases, not be important enough to warrant specific compensation therefor but' where found advisable, any suitable expedient, such as the enlargement of apertures 32, 3.3., 38 and 39 of the nozzles and/or tubes dependent on their relation to the point of entry of line 1 5 or 25, may be adopted.

Three or more nozzles 31], 30a, 30b and 300 are connected to the adhesive and $3.11 circuits. The description of one of the nozzles (30) will suflice for all, which may be Of identical structural features. Said nozzle comprises (Figs. 4, 5 and 6) a base 3| having a longitudinal aperture 32 therethrough for open communication with the lower (adhesive) circuit. An aperture 33 is provided in said base 3| in communication with the longitudinal aperture 32, said aperture 33 being so disposed that when the base 3| is threaded into threaded recess 5| of the gun head, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, it will register with the (upper) air circuit. The nozzle is disposed in the gun head I l in an axial line 34 at an acute angle to the axial line 35 of the stream of insulated particles projected through opening 36 in the gun head (Figs. 1 and 5) or through any other open member secured to the gun head. The nozzle head 31 is provided with a lower axial recess 38 and with an elongated slotted discharge recess 39 at the upper end thereof communicating with recess 38. A cap 40 is adapted to connect the nozzle head 31 to the base 3|, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The base 3| may be provided with a nut-like portion 52 to facilitate gripping the same to rotate the said base into and out of engagement with the gun head H.

By the arrangement described, it will be apparent that the nozzles may be readily and accurately positioned in the gun head, and that the nozzle heads may be secured to the base portions of the nozzles at precisely the required position for proper alignment of the upper, slot ends 39 of the nozzles. As schematically shown, for example, in Fig. 1, th nozzles are disposed to project fiat walls of adhesive 50, a, 50b, and We under pressure, which converge on the stream 35'. The walls 50-500 are directed to a single focal point, closing on the stream to provide overlapping box-like walls which confine the particles of the stream and prevent random movement thereof. The arrangement described provides for concentrated flat walls of adhesive under pressure directed in overlappin arrangement to close on the stream to box the same in, thoroughly wetting the stream and defining finite marginal lines thereto, avoiding the air turbulence incident to flowing of particles from the stream path proper by use of the conventional spray apparatus.

As shown in Fig. 8, the compressed air and adhesive tube circuits may be formed by boring out a solid gun head to define said tubes in the form of apertures in said head. The same end may be attained by forming the air circuit, as shown in Fig. 11, in the form of hollow tubes 62, 62', 63, 63' with an air pressure line 65 connected thereto, the tubes being arranged in connected and criss-cross relation and having clean out plugs 64 disposed in and closing the free ends thereof. Likewise, the adhesive circuit may comprise hollow tubes 12, 72', 13, 13' arranged in connected and criss-cross relation, with clean out plugs closing the free ends of the tubes, and an adhesive line 15 connected to the adhesive circuit. The gun head Ila may be in the form of a hollow casing, shown in dotted lines, secured to the tubes.

It has been found that the spray gun of the invention is extremely light in weight and highly maneuverable. This is an important consideration in the practical application of insulation materials, reducing workers fatigue and facilitating accuracy and speed of application.

The spray gun embodying the invention may be provided, as shown in Fig. 7, with a material pipe 42 fixed to the spray gun head in registry with the aperture 36 therein; a clamp ring 43 may be fixed to said pipe 42 and to the air pressure and adhesive lines 15 and 25. Flexible connections 15a, 25a and 42a may be provided below said clamp, connected to sources of supply for the members I 5, 25 and 42 respectively. While I have shown and described the nozzle 30 as composed of several parts, the same may be formed as a unitary member containing the essential structural features noted. However, it is found, in practice, that the structure shown in Fig. 5 is highly practical, providing for accurate alignment of the elongated slotted ends 39 of the nozzles to obtain the objective of the invention. In order to align the nozzles 30, 30a, 30b and 300 to direct the same to a common imaginary point of convergence so that they will project the flat walls of adhesive for convergence on the stream 35'. To attain the box-like effect above noted, said nozzles ar disposed, as above stated, in the gun head at an acute angle to the axial line 35 of the stream of insulation material projected from the spray gun. For that purpose, the threaded recesses 5| in the gun head I I may be disposed at the desired angle to provide for the automatic angular axial alignment of the nozzles, or the gun head ll may, as shown in Fig. 12, be provided with a concave or angular upper face 4| which will facilitate the boring of th recesses 5la at the desired angle. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 12, the recesses are bored at substantially right angles to the upper face 4| of the gun head.

As above noted, three or more nozzles are used in carrying out the invention. Four are shown in Fig. 1; five or more may be similarly used. Three nozzles 30d, 30e, 30f are shown in Fig. 13.

While a generally rectangular disposition of air and adhesive tube circuits is convenient, a triangular arrangement may be used, in the gun head, as shown in Fig. 14, the tubes 82, 82' and 83 being connected with and criss-crossing each other, the free ends of the tubes being closed by plugs. A similar tube circuit consisting of three tubes 84 connected with and criss-crossing each other, may, in the form shown in Fig. 14, be provided for the other circuit.

The positions of the nozzles on the gun head may be adjustable (Figs. 4a, 41)) so as to permit the operator to readily and accurately adjust the nozzles so that the adhesive walls projected therefrom will wet the stream of insulation fibers at precisely the distance from the gun head required by the job at hand.

As shown in Fig. 4b, the nozzles 30g may be adjusted to dispose the axial line of the nozzle head 31a from a given or medial position (indicated at 34a) inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4b and indicated by axial line 34b, where it is desired to apply the insulation material at relatively short range, better wetting the fibers of such material. Conversely, the nozzles may be adjusted to dispose the nozzle heads outwardly (indicated by axial line 340 of Fig. 4b) to wet the fibers of the stream of insulation material at a greater than normal distance from the gun head.

The nozzle head may be rotatably and adjustably disposed on the gun head, for the purpose mentioned, as exemplified in Fig. 4b. The base 3|a of nozzle 30g is there shown provided with a circular recess 48 opening into the upper end thereof and rotatably receiving the complementary circular lower end 44 of the nozzle head 31a. Cap 49a is carried by the nozzle head and slidably engages the upper end of the base 3 la. The parts may be locked in adjusted position by nut 45, bearing on the cap 40a and threadedly engaging the nozzle head as at 46.

In the form shown in Fig. 4a, the upper end 41 of the nozzle base is ofiset; the position of the nozzle head thus may be readily and accurately adjusted on rotation of the nozzlev base. A corresponding variation in the disposition of the projected adhesive walls is effected. The nozzle base of Fig. 4a may be used with the other nozzle parts shown in Fig. 6.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for spraying particles of insulation material upon a surface, a spray gun head comprising a unitary body having upper and lower surfaces and marginal edge faces, said body being formed with a central opening constituting a discharge openin for insulation material, there being upper and lower continuous conduits in said body surrounding the discharge opening, each of said conduits consisting of straight sections extending entirely through the body in a horizontal plane transversely of each other, and in spaced relation to their ends having portions meeting in intersecting and communicatln relation to each other, said sections having their ends opening through side edge faces of the body and closed by removable plugs, and

nozzles carried by said body and projectin upwardly therefrom, each of said nozzles being formed with a bore extending longitudinally throughout the length of the nozzle and having its lower end open and communicating with the lower conduit, and a side port in each nozzle communicating with the bore thereof and the said side port communicating with the upper conduit.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the body consists of a solid block and the conduits each consists of bored passages extending entirely through the body.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the body consists of a hollow shell and the straight sections of the conduits each consists of preformed straight tubes.

JAMES L. KEMPTHORNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,997,874 Power Apr. 16, 1935 2,255,189 Robinson et al Sept. 9, 1941 2,370,408 MacDonald Feb. 27, 1945 2,372,678 McKay Apr. 3, 1945 2,433,463 Lampe Dec. 30, 1947 2,495,540 Nichols et al Jan. 24, 1950 2,501,839 Bodle et al Mar. 28, 1950 

